When two worlds collide: the unsettling experiences of non-Indigenous volunteers at 2017 World Indigenous Nations Games

ABSTRACT

Foregrounding the ethical demands for non-Indigenous people to be relationally accountable to Indigenous Peoples in settler colonial societies as well as the potential of sport as a site for social change, this study examines the experiences of a group of non-Indigenous sport volunteers at the 2017 World Indigenous Nations Games (WIN Games), an international event hosted simultaneously with the ‘Canada 150ʹ celebration. The findings reveal four themes related to non-Indigenous volunteers’ unsettling yet meaningful experiences. This research highlights how responsible and reflexive engagement through sport, e.g., volunteering, might contain critical educational value and be mobilized as a modest way of action in unsettling settler colonialism.

RéSUMé

En considération de l’exigence éthique selon laquelle, dans les sociétés coloniales, les non-autochtones doivent rendre des comptes aux peuples autochtones, et en tenant compte du potentiel du sport comme moteur de changement social, cette étude examine l’expérience d’un groupe de bénévoles non autochtones aux Jeux mondiaux des peuples autochtones de 2017, un événement international organisé dans le cadre des célébrations du 150e anniversaire du Canada. Les conclusions portent sur quatre thémes liés à l’expérience troublante, mais tout de même significative des bénévoles non autochtones. La recherche met en lumière la façon dont un engagement responsable et introspectif, par la réalisation de bénévolat lors d’activités sportives, pourrait avoir une valeur éducative importante et contribuer à la prise d’actions, même modestes, en faveur du démantèlement du colonialisme.

KEYWORDS:

• Settler colonialism
• Indigenous games
• relational accountability
• sport events
• non-Indigenous volunteers

MOTS CLÈS:

• colonialisme
• imputabilité relationnelle
• événements sportifs
• bénévoles non autochtones
• Jeux peuples autochtones

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all 13 participants who generously shared their time, experience, and materials for the purposes of this research project, the two anonymous reviewers who provided constructive comments and suggestions for the manuscript, as well as several other organizations (North American Society for Sport Management, Edmonton Public Library, Indigenous Physical Activity & Cultural Circle) and individuals (Kassi Boyd, Charity Slobod) that helped generate useful feedback to earlier iterations of this paper. The first author would also like to acknowledge the generous support of the Re-Creation Collective (particularly Dr. Danielle Peers and Dr. Tricia McGuire-Adams) for the completion of this publication.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Both of these groups are highly diverse in and of themselves. Therefore, we deploy these terms with necessary caution and invite readers to recognize the heterogeneity of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in these settler states.

2. Although the academic critique of settler colonialism emerged recently in Indigenous studies and settler colonial studies, Indigenous Peoples have for centuries denounced the violence of settler colonialism (Rowe & Tuck, 2017).

3. For example, at the international level: North American Indigenous Games, World Indigenous Nations Games, Arctic Winter Games, Masters Indigenous Games. There also have been nationwide and regional games: the Jogos dos Povos Indígenas (Indigenous Peoples’ Games) in Brazil, Alberta Indigenous Games and Ontario Indigenous Summer Games in Canada, Inter-iwi sport events in New Zealand, Juegos Ancestrales (Ancestral Games) in Panama.

4. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015) proposed five ‘calls to actions’ (87–91) under ‘Sports and Reconciliation’ category in its final report.

5. There were no official records on the number of non-Indigenous volunteers at the event. However, an estimated number is 20.

6. While racial/ethnic backgrounds of the participants are not the focus of this study, it is important to note that the participants’ racial backgrounds are diverse and include white/Caucasian, Latinx, Asian, and mixed descent. Although they, their families or ancestors are/were native to other territories, they all identified as non-Indigenous in Canada.

7. These include: retired teachers (3), graduate students (2), staff member at postsecondary institution (2), non-profit organization (1), media/cultural institution (1), municipal government (1), local tech company (1), as well as researcher (1), small business owner (1).

8. The WIN Games faced logistical challenges, notably a local public university’s late withdrawal from the partnership (see Chen, 2021). Historically, Indigenous Peoples always have had to recalibrate and re-adjust as a result of settler violence in various forms. The staging of the 2017 WIN Games should be considered a microcosm in this struggle.

9. The withdrawal of the university as a partner of the event was not publicly reported.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) [New Frontiers in Research Fund [NFRFE-2018-00651]].